It’s One Pie of A Day

If you’ve been around a while (thank you!), you know that I plan our meals well in advance, taking into consideration National Days for this little Blog of mine, as well as the bigger Holidays and Feasts. Knowing that National Pie Day was looming, I decided to bake up a Galette to honor the day.

If you are like me, you can’t make a fancy pie crust to save your life. No crimp edges or perfectly spaced fork tines. I think that is one of the reason I love Galettes so much. The less perfect the better. When it comes to Apple Pies, my favorite is a Dutch Apple. I love a good crumb topping on my muffins, pies and coffee cakes. That’s when the lights came on – what would happen if a Galette and a Dutch Apple collided? In my book, that would be amazingly delicious.

Just one tiny problem. Life. Life, especially during the Holy-Day Seasons of Advent and Christmas, just seems to get in the way. This year I am ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t even call my Dad until after Christmas. So finding the time to bake anything was nearly impossible. All I can say is Thank You God for making National Pie Day well beyond Your Holy Days. Yeah, I know God didn’t work some kind of supernatural miracle. I just like to give thanks wherever and whenever I can.

I present to you my take on a Rustic Dutch Apple Galette. Enjoy and have a most amazingly blessed day possible.

Rustic Dutch Apple Galette
Pastry Shell
8 tablespoons Butter
1-1/3 cups Flour
2 tablespoons Sugar
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
8 teaspoons cold Water (approximately)

Place the margarine in the freezer to get very cold. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Work butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Add vanilla, then gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

While the dough is chilling, make Dutch Crumb Topping and prepare the filling.

Dutch Crumb Topping
4 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/3 cup Old Fashion Oats

Cut butter into 1 tablespoon slices. Lay out flat on a piece of plastic wrap, place in the freezer to chill well.

Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. With a cheese grater grate the frozen butter, one tablespoon at a time into the brown sugar mixture. Work butter in until the topping is crumbly. Toss in the oats, set aside to make the apple filling.

Apple Filling
3 Tart Apples
1 Sweet Apple
3 tablespoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and slice apples as you would for any apple pie filling. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon; toss with flour. Set apple filling aside.

To Assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spoon the apple filling over the pastry to within 2-inches of edges. Fold the edges of pastry around filling, leaving center uncovered. Sprinkle Dutch Crumb Topping over the exposed apple filling.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Let cool to just barely warm.

Transfer to a serving plate. Slice and serve. Finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

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Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me,
for in You I take refuge.
In the shadow of Your wings I take refuge,
till harm pass by.